JP2003177356A - 2d/3d convertible display - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a 2D/3D convertible display which can easily be switched to 2D or 3D by using an electrooptic material whose refractive index varies according to applied electric power. <P>SOLUTION: A stereoscopic display has an image formation display and a lens part which is formed on the front surface of the image formation display and converts a video from the image formation display into a three-dimensional video. The lens part includes a liquid crystal layer which includes the electrooptic material whose refractive index is selectively adjusted with applied electric power according to its position and serves as a lens according to sequential variation in the refractive index. Consequently, the display can easily be switched to 2D or 3D in fields which require more advanced video information, e.g. medical science, engineering, simulation, and future stereoscopic video television fields. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) dual-purpose display using a microlens array, and more specifically, an electro-optical device whose refractive index changes depending on whether a power source is applied or not. 2D or 3D using substance
The present invention relates to a 2D / 3D dual-purpose display that can be easily switched to.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A stereoscopic image display for displaying a 3D image, which is a concept including a stereoscopic image and a 3D image in a broad sense, has various types according to a stereoscopic display method, a viewpoint, an observation condition, and whether an observer wears separate glasses. Can be classified into the following methods. Binocular parallax is mainly used to stereoscopically recognize the image given from the display, but if the images observed from different angles are input to both eyes, the action of the brain gives a sense of space. Recognizable. The stereoscopic image display method can be roughly classified into a binocular method and a three-dimensional method. The two-lens system is a system in which two two-dimensional images having binocular parallax are separated and given to each of the left and right eyes to be stereoscopically recognized. However, this has a disadvantage that stereoscopic images can be recognized only from a single-direction viewpoint because the left and right images captured by the twin-lens method are displayed. On the other hand, the three-dimensional method
The object is photographed in multiple directions to display a stereoscopic image. Therefore, there is an advantage that a 3D image can be obtained even when the observation position is changed, that is, even when the observation is performed in multiple directions.

Three-dimensional image display methods for displaying binocular parallax images taken in multiple directions include parallax panoramagram method, lenticular method, and IP (integral) method.
photography or volumetric
-Graph) method, slit scan method and the like.

Of these methods, the IP method does not require additional spectacles for observation and can automatically obtain a stereoscopic image at a desired position, which is extremely useful in producing a 3D image. is there. The IP type display includes a microlens array or a pinhole array, which is widely used in the fields of medicine, engineering, simulation and the like.

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining a conventional 3D image embodying system and a method for embodying the same. First, the 3D image embodying system will be described. The light diffusion layer 112 is formed between the first and second microlens arrays 111 and 113, for example, the fly-eye lens, and faces the second microlens array 113. A third microlens array 114 having the same structure is formed on the front surface of the light sensing layer 115 of the TV pickup tube 116.

The display 119 includes a fluorescent screen 120, and a fourth microlens array 121 is formed on the front surface where the image is recognized by the audience.
Here, the 3D signal including the image captured by the camera through the microlens system is sent to the receiving unit 118 via the transmitting unit 117. Such a transmission system operates according to a normal signal transmission / reception method. The signal received through the receiver 118 forms an image on the fluorescent screen 120 of the display 119, and the image is recognized through the fourth lens array 121. Here, the image formed on the fluorescent screen 120 is the same as the image formed on the photosensitive layer 115 of the television picture tube 116 through the first, second and third microlens arrays 111, 113 and 114. is there. The fourth microlens array 121 formed on the display 119 has the same structure as the lens system formed on the TV pickup tube 116, and the relationship between the microlens system and the display 119 is as follows.
The same as that of the microlens system for 16. Therefore, the viewer can perceive a virtual virtual stereoscopic image by viewing the image through the microlens system on the front surface of the fourth lens array 121 of the display 119.

However, in a simulation or medical analysis system in which a display is actually used, a 2D image is required in addition to the 3D image. However, depending on the 3D image display according to the related art, there is a problem that 2D images and 3D images cannot be selectively implemented.

[0008]

Therefore, in order to solve the problems of the conventional techniques, the present invention can easily realize 2D images and 3D images in a single display without a separate device. It is intended to provide a display.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides an image forming display and an image formed on the front surface of the image forming display and output from the image forming display. In the stereoscopic image display including a lens unit for converting the image into a three-dimensional image, the lens unit includes an electro-optical material whose refractive index can be selectively adjusted according to the position of an applied power source. 2D / 3D characterized by including a liquid crystal layer that can play the role of a lens depending on a change
Provides a dual-purpose display.

In the present invention, the lens unit includes a first transparent substrate, a lower electrode formed on the first transparent substrate, a liquid crystal layer formed on the lower electrode and containing an electro-optical material, and It is desirable to include an upper electrode formed on the liquid crystal layer and a second transparent substrate formed on the upper electrode.

In the present invention, the image forming display may further include a power supply unit capable of applying power to the lower electrode and the upper electrode, and the image forming display may be a CRT or LC.
It is desirable to include a D, plasma display or an EL display.

In the present invention, the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate are aligned in the same direction, and the liquid crystal layer is selected through the lower electrode and the upper electrode in the 3D mode. It is preferable that the liquid crystal layer has the shape of a self-focusing lens in which the power is applied and the refractive index gradually changes depending on the position.

In the present invention, the electro-optical material of the liquid crystal layer is a nematic material.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A 2D / 3D dual-purpose display according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a 2D / 3D dual-purpose display according to the present invention. The 2D / 3D combined display according to the present invention includes an image forming display 21, and a lens unit 27 and a power supply unit (not shown) that can selectively supply power to the lens unit 27.

The image forming display 21 is an ordinary image display, and its specific example is a television having a high resolution and a narrow pitch for forming an image,
There are monitors, LCDs, plasma displays, EL displays, etc. Therefore, the image forming display 2
Reference numeral 1 denotes an image signal input and output as it is, and any ordinary image embodying medium can be used without any special limitation.

The lens portion 27 is located in front of the image forming display 21 and is provided in the image forming display 21.
It plays the role of changing the image output from the 3D image. Here, the lens portion 27 includes a first transparent substrate 22, a lower electrode 23 formed on the transparent substrate, a liquid crystal layer 24 formed on the lower electrode, and an upper portion formed on the liquid crystal layer 24. Electrode 25 and a second electrode formed on the upper electrode
A transparent substrate 26 is included. In addition, an insulating layer may be further interposed between the substrates 22 and 26 and between the upper electrode 23 and the lower electrode 25.

The lower electrode 23 and the upper electrode 25 are made of a transparent material, like the first transparent substrate 22 and the second transparent substrate 26.
For example, it can be formed from ITO (In, Sn, Oxide).

The lower electrode 23 and the upper electrode 25 are formed to intersect each other in a line shape, and the widths of the lower electrode 23 and the upper electrode 25 are determined according to the pixels of the image forming display 21. As a result, the power application part of the liquid crystal layer 24 can be adjusted according to the pixel unit of the image forming display 21.

The liquid crystal layer 24, which characterizes the 2D / 3D dual-purpose display according to the present invention, is formed of an electro-optical material whose refractive index is changed by an external power source. For example, it is formed from the nematic material described in US Pat. No. 4,037,929. The liquid crystal layer 24 is subjected to an alignment treatment by a known technique to align the electro-optical material of the liquid crystal layer 24 in the plane direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the electro-optical material of the liquid crystal layer 24 is generally oriented in the same direction when no power is applied. When a power source is applied to the liquid crystal layer 24, the refractive index of the nematic material is 1.52 to 1.7.
Change to 5. The amount of light transmission changes with such a change in the refractive index.

Next, a method for implementing 2D and 3D images on the 2D / 3D combined display according to the present invention will be described.

An embodiment of a method for implementing a 3D image will be described with reference to FIG. First, when power is applied by the external power supply unit, power is applied to the liquid crystal layer through the lower electrode 33 and the upper electrode 35. At this time, the magnitude of the power supply applied to the lower electrode 33 is made different. This also applies to the upper electrode 35. If the magnitude of the power supply applied to the upper electrode 33 and the lower electrode 35 is different, the liquid crystal layer 34
The size of the power supply applied to each part of the above will differ. Therefore, the orientation direction of the electro-optical material of the liquid crystal layer 34 is different for each part.

FIG. 3 shows an example in which the alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer 34 changes when the power supplies applied to the upper electrode 33 and the lower electrode 35 are different. If you refer to this, 3
Reference numeral h denotes a portion to which power is not applied, and at this time, the amount of light transmitted by the image forming display 31 is extremely small. And, 3a and 3o are the ones to which a power source having a magnitude that can obtain the most change in the orientation direction of the electro-optical material is applied, and changed in the vertical direction. In this case, the amount of light transmitted from the image forming display 31 is the largest. That is, the amount of light transmission varies with each part of the liquid crystal layer due to the application of the power source. Based on such a principle, it is possible to assume that the regions 3a to 3o of the liquid crystal layer are one lens, and the lens embodied in this way is a self-focusing lens or a GRI.
It is referred to as an N (GRated Index) lens. Therefore, the received image is displayed in 3D by the liquid crystal layer 34 which functions as the lens through the image forming display 31.
It can be embodied as a video.

Various lenses can be embodied according to the above-described principle. That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, a fly-eye lens or a lenticular lens may be implemented. As described above, if the magnitude of the power source applied to the liquid crystal layer 34 via the lower electrode 33 and the upper electrode 35 of the lens unit 37 is made slightly different, the amount of light transmission at each portion of the liquid crystal layer 34 will be different. The liquid crystal layer 34 has a self-focusing shape, which allows the liquid crystal layer 34 to function as a lens. Therefore,
The shape of the lens is not limited to a particular shape, and its size and shape can be adjusted.

The 2D image is embodied by allowing the image itself output from the image forming displays 21 and 31 to pass through the lens unit without being filtered. That is, if the powers applied to the lower electrodes 23 and 33 and the upper electrodes 25 and 35 of the lens units 27 and 37 are kept the same, the liquid crystal layers 24 and 34 only serve as glass plates and are separately provided. A 2D image can be easily embodied by setting the same light transmission amount at the positions.

Therefore, the liquid crystal layer 34 is formed by matching the refractive indexes of the transparent substrates 32 and 36 in accordance with the presence or absence of the application of the external power source. If the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer 34 is applied separately to each electrode, the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer 34 will be different from each other. This causes a difference in the amount of light transmission. In this way, by adjusting the magnitude of the power supply applied to each part of the liquid crystal layer and repeatedly applying the power, the liquid crystal layer 34 can function as a kind of lens like a self-focusing lens. Therefore, a 2D / 3D dual-purpose display can be realized by adjusting the magnitude of the power supply applied to the lens unit 37 in the same display.

Various lenses can be embodied according to the principle as described above. FIG. 4A illustrates that the liquid crystal layer of the lens unit 42 functions as a lenticular lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and changes the shading that four lenticular lenses are formed. Is shown. 4B shows that the lens unit 42 according to another embodiment of the present invention functions as a fly-eye lens.
The shades are shown to indicate that six unit fly-eye lenses are formed. Both the embodiments of FIGS. 4A and 4B can be easily obtained by selectively adjusting the power source applied to the upper electrode and the lower electrode.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, fields requiring more advanced image information, such as medicine,
You can easily switch to 2D or 3D in engineering, simulation and future stereoscopic television fields.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of a conventional 3D image display.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a 2D / 3D combined display according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the principle of embodying a 3D image in the 2D / 3D combined display according to the present invention.

FIG. 4A is an exploded perspective view showing that the lens unit functions as a lenticular lens in the 2D / 3D combined display according to the present invention.

FIG. 4B is an exploded perspective view showing that the lens unit functions as a fly-eye lens in the 2D / 3D combined display according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

21, 31, 41 image forming display 22, 32 First transparent substrate 23,33 Lower electrode 24, 34 Liquid crystal layer 25,35 upper electrode 26, 36 Second transparent substrate 27,37,42 Lens part

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A stereoscopic image display, comprising: an image forming display; and a lens unit formed on the front surface of the image forming display and converting an image output from the image forming display into a three-dimensional image. 2D / 3D characterized by including an electro-optical material whose refractive index can be selectively adjusted according to its position by an applied power source, and including a liquid crystal layer which can play the role of a lens by a sequential change of the refractive index. Dual-purpose display. 2. The lens unit includes a first transparent substrate, a lower electrode formed on the first transparent substrate, a liquid crystal layer formed on the lower electrode and containing an electro-optical material, and the liquid crystal layer. The 2D / 3D combined display according to claim 1, further comprising an upper electrode formed on the upper electrode and a second transparent substrate formed on the upper electrode. 3. The 2D / 3D dual-purpose display according to claim 2, further comprising a power supply unit that can apply power to the lower electrode and the upper electrode. 4. The image forming display is a CR
2D / 3 according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a T, LCD, plasma display or EL display.
Dual-use display. 5. The first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate,
The 2D / 3D dual-use display according to claim 2, wherein the alignment treatment is performed in the same direction. 6. The liquid crystal layer is selectively applied with power through the lower electrode and the upper electrode in the 3D mode, and the refractive index gradually changes according to the position of the liquid crystal layer so that the liquid crystal layer is self-focusing lens. The 2D / 3D combined display according to claim 2, having the shape of. 7. The 2D / according to claim 2, wherein the electro-optical material of the liquid crystal layer is a nematic material.
3D combined display.